Four British holidaymakers attacked by ‘serial rapist at Costa Rica resort’, court hears

FOUR British holidaymakers were attacked by a suspected serial rapist at a paradise resort in Costa Rica, a court heard.

28-year-old Cristopher Andres Picado Ramirez is also said to have attacked a woman from Argentina and two minors from Costa Rica.

This comes as Bear Grylls, Holly Willoughby and other celebs are in the South American country to film a new Netflix survivor show that is expected to give the country a tourism boost.

Picado Ramirez is said to have attacked some of his victims in the bathroom of a bar in Santa Teresa, while others were abused at parties on farms near the resort’s famous beach.

Picado Ramirez, who describes himself as a surfing instructor on the Internet, is accused of attacking at least seven women between the ages of 18 and 24 between 2019 and 2022.

In an eighth case of an attack on a foreigner, DNA results are still pending, according to local media.

During his trial, feminist and human rights groups held protests outside the local court buildings.

The judges were heavily criticized for releasing him on bail after his arrest.

None of the British women who were among the first to report the attacks appeared at a two-day court hearing in late April, but they are believed to have given evidence from the Costa Rican consulate in London.

The trial was supposed to end last week, but stalled after Picado Ramírez, who allegedly suffers from Asperger’s syndrome, presented one of his alleged victims as a witness for the defense.

The woman described as his girlfriend when he was 24, but who was only 13 years old herself, is proposed as a character witness.

Walter Brenes, the lawyer for three of the victims, said he was “completely baffled,” adding: “In my hypothetical defense, I would not offer a victim as evidence, knowing that the victim is still a victim.”

The trial is expected to be completed this week.

Members of the cast and crew of the new Netflix survival series “Bear Hunt,” hosted by Holly and Bear Grylls, have been visiting Puntarenas, a well-known cultural center, likely from across the Gulf of Nicoya, where many of them were photographed during their stay in the province of Guanacaste.

The cast also includes Lottie Moss, Mel B and Boris Becker.

According to local media groups, the feminist organization Santa Teresa reported at least 25 cases of sexual assault on tourists between 2022 and 2023, but accused the port city’s officials of doing too little to address the problem.

The city has only nine police officers with a population of about 135,000.

At night, there are almost no police patrols and tourists are invited to large, unauthorized parties and to local villas and farms.

The officers were accused of having a bad attitude towards the female participants.

Activists say sex offenders befriend tourists and find out when they are leaving, then attack them just before they leave, making them less likely to stay and support prosecution.